Rio Balsas received an additional citation for an employee serving alcohol without an alcohol sales permit, a violation of a county ordinance.

Sheriff’s Maj. Rick Doyle, director of operations, said the agency plans to put a greater focus on deterring underage sales.

“We want to make sure our businesses are responsible in selling alcohol,” Doyle said. “A successful operation is when we can go out and visit 25 businesses and have 25 do exactly what they’re supposed to do.”

“Selling and serving alcohol is a big responsibility, and we expect businesses to take preventing underage drinking seriously,” Piper said.

The sheriff’s office regularly checks all businesses in the county that are licensed to sell alcohol.

During an operation, Doyle said the agency will send in an underage person under the supervision of one or more undercover deputies to attempt to buy alcohol.

The “operatives” often are criminal justice students, he said. When a citation is issued, the alcohol is returned to the store and a refund is provided.

Those issued citations are required to appear in Magistrate Court.

If found guilty, the businesses and employees will also be subject to county ordinance penalties, which can lead to suspension or loss of their business licenses or sales permits.

The county requires all people involved in selling or serving alcohol to obtain a server’s license through the sheriff’s office permits and ordinance unit, which is on the second floor at 475 Tribble Gap Road in Cumming.